Cloth spreading machine



March 13, 1951 H. J. DE LASSUS CLOTH SPREADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1948 A &2\ mm Ham/0 J 06105505 March 13, 1951 H. J. DE LASSUS 2,544,951

CLOTH SPREADING MACHINE Filed 001;. 5, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i lg Z;

/Z6 Z5 #7 igmwx 52 flare/0 J 06105505 March 1951 H. J. DE LAssus 2,544,951

CLOTH SPREADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 jig S7.

57 5-4 5'0 gig 5 4 5/ f/aro/o 05105505 Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STAT ES s ores-cs 2,544,951; GLGTHSPREADING-MACHINIE:

Iia 'oldi Josenh De assus SalisburgaMoi Application October 5, 194$, Serial No. 52,935!

This invention relates chine, and more particularly to a one way spread-- or adapted for the laying orspreading of-woolen orother cloth on a cutting table. It is realized by clothing manufacturers that material with: a nap or twill cannot be reversed in pair. face to face must run inthe same direction from the collar or waist of a garment to the hem or cuff.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved spreadingdevioe-longitudinally movable above a cutting table suspended from an overhead trackway, thus permitting: free access to the table at al'i times,

A further object of the invention resides; in the provision of an imgroved cloth laying carriage having means whereby thebolt of cloth maybe reversedat the end' of'its travel over the cutting table in such manner that alternate. layers of cloth may be paired and matched face to face with the ply running; in the same direction,

An additional object of the invention is the provision of improved means whereby the carriage may be shifted transversely relative to the direction oftravel in such manner that successive layersv of'cloth may be substantially perfectly aligned with a minimum of effort and difi'iculty.

An additional; and more specific object of the invention resides in self-centering means for cente1;i'ng the bolt carrier transversely to the direction of travelof'the carriages Still another object of the inv nti n. resides n the provision of height, adjusting means, permit,- ting he laying of a. pile of. lo h to any desire height and from ny d sired. size oifbolft trom'the same machine-i 1 A still further objec of he invention is the provision of means wh reby the cloth b layedv without undue. stretch. or. tension thereon in such manner as to prov de. a. substantially pe fect pattern of cloth in natural form.

by a single operator,v with a cQ fiiderablehsa in oi time, and which is sturdy anddurable in'cQnto a cloth spreading ma- Two ply L struction reliable and eificientlin operation. and

relatively simple and inex ensive to manuiaoture and assemble.

Other objects will in part. be. obviousl and in part be pointed out as the description of the; in-

vention prooe da. and in onne t on wi h. th c bro en away, d eemsine onef rm of th s. nvent v con ep Figure 2 is a ton plan view of he structure of Fi ure l.., certain portions. thereof e ng, broken away.

to Claims. (on/m xi);

i ure 3 is an. end: elevationala ViQW? of th QQXI? strmtion or Fig-mics; 11 and 2; portions thereof some shown secticni l i Ei g-ureisan enlarged sectional view-takensubstantially' alone the line. 4+4 oi'Fieure a asnieued in the direction indicated by the arrowa Figure- 5 is an emerged; sectional view taken substantially along the line 5H5 0i Figure; 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the; arrows, and

Figure B li's.- anenrargedi sectional viewtaken substantially along the line- B -fii of 43,- as viewed in the direction indicated bythe arrows;

Similar reiere-nce characters refer to similar parts throughout the several of the draw r ngs.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is generally indicated at Ht an overhead: trackway adapted-for the support of a. carriage enerally indicated at l t and positioned over a cutting table, generally indicated as t2, the. latter beingof desired or conventional type.

The track i0 is comprised of two oppositely disposed'channel members Hand? [4 adapted to. be suspended as by means of hangers: I55 suitably spaced secured to the ceiling L G' theJtrack being;- longitudinally arranged above the cutting table [2. Channel members F3: and? M be connected bys'uitabl yspaced transversely extend-i in-g reinforcing; members -l-'|'-, ton the purposes of holding; the track channels properly spaced, and

in Iongitudinal alignment with: cutting table I2.

It is to be noted that track t3; may have a substantially' plane or flat lower surface while track M is provided with a longitudinally extending; rib or ridge I8, the purposeof which wii l be more fuliy described hereinafter.

It is; also. to be noted that the tracks t3 and? M may be spaced atany suitable distance, but; as best shown in Figures 2 and 3; are spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the widthof the cutting table 12; which in turn may be of anydesii-ecl'width suitable forthe purpose for which it is intended.

The carriage H of the device is comprised of a rectangular plate 253 of any desired" material,

such as plywood or the like, on opposite sides !'3 and; t4, those adjacent-track t3 carrying wheels or rollers 33, providedwith plane peripheral surfaces, vservinaas idler wheels, adapted to move longitudinal-1y within the track Hi The axles 29 adjacent-the track; l5 also carry idler wheels or guide wheels 31 provided with peripheral grooves 32 adagtjed to ride on the ridgev [8,, which thus serves, as a longitudinal guideassuring substantial dotted lines at 68.

. alignment of the carriage H and its associated elements while moving along the trackway.

As best shown in Figures 4 and 5 the assembly comprised of plates 25, 26 and 21 secured together by suitable fastenings as shown, is provided with a centrally positioned bore, within which is seated a suitable bearing 35, having mounted for free rotation therein a stub axle 36. The upper extremity of axle 36 is threaded at 31, and carries a disc 38, the latter being secured thereon as by a nut 39. Disc 38 is provided with a plurality of threaded bores, preferably disposed at 90 angles in respect to each other, and in each of which is secured the threaded extremity 46- of a rod 4|,the rods thus extending outwardly from the disc at substantially right angles to each other. Each rod carries at its outer extremity a roller 42, preferably of ball-bearing construction, adapted to ride on the upper plate 26. The rollers engage depressions or seats (not shown) in the plate 26 and the parts 41, 42 thus serve as a stabilizing device to hold axle 36 in a desired position.

It will thus be seen that the axle 36, together with the associated mechanism secured to the lower extremity thereof, to be more fully described hereinafter, is free to rotate in a full 360 are relative to that portion of the carriage assembly ll comprised of plates 25, 26 and 21, supported for longitudinal movement on the tracks 13 and I4.

L'I'he lower extremity of the stub axle 36 is suitably secured, in any desired manner, as by welding or the like, to a channel-shaped member 56, the depending flanges of which are provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 5!, the slots of each depending portion being in substantial alignment with those of the other transversely of the channel 56.

Extending longitudinally-in the channel member 56 is a plate or strip 52, the extremities of which extend beyond the ends of member 56, and are bent downwardly at right angles to form depending portions 52a which extend downwardly a substantial distance toward the cutting table l2. The underside of strip 52 is provided with a plurality of supporting brackets 53, apertured to receive axles 64, secured in alignment as by collars 55 (Figure 6) ,the axles 54 carrying upon their outer extremities suitable rollers 56, preferably of ball bearing type, adapted for longitudinal movement within slots 51. It will thus be seen :that the strip 52 may move longitudinally relative to the member 56 within limits imposed by .-.the slots 5!.

The lower extremities of depending portions g52a are provided with vertical slots 66 through which are adapted to extend rods or bolts 6|, 6|

which secure, as by means-of nuts 62 depending and adjustable extensionsor hanger straps 63.

.These hangers 63 are provided at their lower extremities with a plurality of notches 64, having indentations or seats at their inner extremities,

adapted for the reception of the pins of a trans- .versely extending axle 66 which carries a roller 61, the latter preferably being mounted on suitable anti-friction bearings on the axle 66 to facilitate free rotation thereof. Roller 61 is of any suitable diameter, but preferably of a size permitting ready insertion in the central aperture of a bolt of cloth or the like, indicated by It may here be noted that, if desired, one or more of the long bolts or rods 6| may extend transversely-between the strips 63, to serve as additional aligning and reinforcing cutting table 12 the entire carriage assembly H is nrst moved on the track assembly ID, to one end of the table, a bolt of woolen cloth or other suitable material is positioned on roller 61, by removal of axle 66 from its associated slots, and the end of the material suitably secured ad acent the end of the table. The carriage assembly is then moved longitudinally of the cutting table 12 along assembly Ill, the cloth freely following there behind, the roller bearing mounting of roller 61 permitting natural laying of cloth, and precluding tension thereon, until the other end of the table is reached. The material is then cut and the carriage returned to the opposite end of the track assembly.

Assuming that it is now desired to lay a piece of material for the purpose of cutting the opposite side of a garment, and in order that the ply may run in the same direction, the assembly comprised of channel member an and its associated elements including the bolt 68 is now rotated through an angle of on the stub axle 36, and the previous operation is then repeated. The stabilizing means el, 42 tends to hold the bolt 68 at right angles to the edge of the table l2. It is to be noted that due to the uneven rolling of bolts of cloth, in the absence or provision fortiansverse movement of the bolt during laying some unevenly aligned edges may re sult. The movable relationship of the member 52, relative the channel member 51) permitted by the rol. rs 56 within the 5105s 5i permits and facilitates ready alignment of the edges of the several layers of c-0th. It may here be pointed out that member 52 is normally centered relative to member 68 by means of coil springs H, the extremities of which are secured to the outer .ends of axles 54, and to a centrally positioned aperture I2 in one depending flange of member '50 as shown in Figure 3. Obviously the above described operation may be repeated as many times as desired, and the relative height of the bolt above the cutting table suitably adjusted in the manner previously described to accommodate the at the cutting table and enables the operator to rotate the carriage with greater ease and with a considerable saving in time. A complete rotation of 360 allows perfect pairing of material without removing the bolt from the machine,

thereby increasing production and eliminating undue handling of the material. The slotted carriage enables the operator to readily shift the cloth or other material laterally a few inches against the tension of the centering springs ll as it unrolls, thereby keeping each successive lay along the same straight line and effecting considerable saving in time and material in the cutting room. The height adjustment for the bolt allows the cloth to be spread with the bolt unrolling close to the table and hence prevents air from getting under the cloth. It also allows the material to unroll naturally and freely without stretch or tension. It further enables the operator to lay cloth to any depth on the one machine.

While in the foregoing there has been described a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept it is to be understood that numerous modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. As an example of such modifications a suitable motor may be provided to impart longitudinal movement to the carriage assembly, or, alternatively, handles may be positioned in any desired locality to facilitate manual movement. Similarly suitable stop means such as indentations to receive rollers 42 may be formed in the plate 26 to hold the rotatable assembly in desired transverse alignment relative to the cutting table.

It is therefore to be understood that all matter herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted merely as a illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described in combination, an overhead track, a carriage plate longitudinally movable thereon, a stub axle extending through and rotatable in said plate, stabilizing means secured to the upper end of said axle and including an annular series of rollers to rotate on the upper side of said plate, a horizontal supporting member fixed at its center to the lower end of said axle, a boltcarrying member carried by and shiftable lengthwise of said supporting member, and spring means for centering said bolt-carrying member on said supporting member.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination, an overhead track, a carriage longitudinally movable thereon, a vertical stub axle rotatably mounted in said carriage, a horizontal supporting member beneath said carriage and secured at its center to said axle, a bolt-carrying member carried by and shiftable lengthwise of said supporting member, and spring means for centering said bolt-carrying member with respect to said supporting member.

3. In a machine of the character described, in combination, an overhead track, a carriage longitudinally movable thereon, a horizontal supporting member beneath said carriage, means pivoting the center of said member to said carriage for rotation, an elongated bolt-carrying member slidably supported on said supporting member for longitudinal movement, and spring means for centering said bolt-carrying member. on said supporting member.

4. In a machine of the character described, in combination, an overhead track, a carriage longitudinally movable thereon, a stub axle rotatably mounted in said carriage and depending therefrom, a channel member secured to the depending end of said axle and having its flanges projecting downwardly, a bolt-carrying member within said channel member, and means permitting said bolt-carrying member to shift longitudinally relative to said channel member, said last-mentioned means including aligned slots in the depending flanges of said channel member and rollers carried by said bolt-carrying member and movable in said slots.

5. In a machine of the character described, in combination, an overhead track, a carriage longitudinally movable thereon, a stud axle rotatably mounted in said carriage and depending therefrom, a channel member beneath said carriage and secured to said axle, a bolt-carrying member within said channel member, and means for mounting said bolt-carrying member for sliding movement longitudinally of said channel member, said bolt-carrying member including depending extremities, a bolt-supporting roller extending between said extremities, and means permitting a longitudinal extension of said depending extremities.

6. In a machine of the character described, in combination, an overhead track, a carriage longitudinally movable thereon, a stub axle rotatably mounted in said carriage, a channel member beneath said carriage and supported by said axle, a bolt-carrying member in said' channel member, means for mounting said boltcarrying member for sliding movement longitudinally of said channel member, and spring means for centering said bolt-carrying member relative to said channel member.

7. In a machine of the character described, in combination, an overhead track, a carriage longitudinally movable thereon, a vertical stub axle rotatably mounted in said carriage, a horizontal supporting member beneath said carriage and secured at its center to said axle, a boltcarrying member carried by and shiftable lengthwise of said supporting member, and means for insuring horizontal disposition of said members, said last-mentioned means including a spider secured to the upper end of said axle and carrying rollers rotatable on the upper side of said carriage.

8. In a machine of the character described, in combination, an overhead track including a pair of opposed, longitudinally extending, channel track members, at least one of which is provided on its lower flange with a longitudinally extending rib, a carriage plate disposed horizontally between said track members, wheels carried by said plate and disposed in said track members, certain of said wheels having grooved peripheries to engage said rib to guide said carriage plate longitudinally of said overhead track, a rotatable axle extending through said plate, stabilizing means secured to the upper end of said axle and including an annular series of rollers to rotate on the upper side of said plate, a horizontal channel member secured at its center to the lower end of said axle, a bar slidable in said horizontal channel member and having depending extremities, and bolt-carrying means supported by said depending extremities.

9. The structure of claim 8 in which said depending extremities of said bar include vertically adjustable hangers, and the latter have notches to receive said bolt-carrying means.

10. The structure of claim 8 together with spring means for centering said slidable bar in said horizontal channel member.

HAROLD JOSEPH DE LASSUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file, of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 682,922 Dunn Sept. 17, 1901 976,604 Sampson Nov. 22, 1910 1,021,002 Pollard et a1. Mar. 26, 1912 1,078,302 Moritz Nov. 11, 1913 

